What is Social Media Marketing?

What do you use social media for?

Social Media started as a way to keep up with friends, but people now also use it to follow their favorite brands. As a form of owned media, brands’ social media profiles are powerful because the brand can fully control the story.

Social Media Marketers take care of the company’s social media platforms, such as Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. On these platforms, they promote the company’s products, services, and mission in a way that will reach online audiences and attract new potential customers. Social Media Marketers juggle company content, user engagement, and pop culture trends in organic, authentic ways.

Content for these platforms includes images, graphic designs, GIFs, or video clips. The actual topics can be product launches, product highlights, customer reviews, sales, and related viral content. Having a concrete social media presence is crucial, because many shoppers decide on a brand’s legitimacy through its Instagram profile.

This is a fun, fast-paced role that directly engages the real world. Main responsibilities include:

  • Maintaining the social media tone and aesthetic
  • Building concrete goals and strategies for each platform
  • Reporting on Key Performance Metrics (KPIs)
  • Getting to know the audience
  • Planning content calendars
  • Fostering a healthy community
  • Engaging with users
  • Social listening (having a pulse on who’s saying what about your brand)
  • Testing concepts
  • Looking out for suitable partnerships
  • Always learning about the social media landscape, because it changes daily

For example, if you’re the Social Media Manager of a wellness supplements company, you might:

  • Brainstorm engaging content about how to use the supplements
  • Use automation tools such as Tailwind, Hootsuite, or SproutSocial
  • Facilitate a live Q&A session with a yogi or wellness guru
  • Plan monthly marketing calendars with deadlines for content and publication
  • Strategize big campaigns, such as a product launch or a holiday sale
  • Report on the previous month’s social media performance
  • Respond to comments and DMs about orders and product questions

More links that might be helpful:

  • Example of social media report
  • Example of content calendar
  • Examples of awesome social media marketing
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